Neo-Assyrian Empire

The Neo-Assyrian Empire was an empire in Mesopotamia during the Iron Age. During its existence from 911-609 BC, it was the largest empire in the world up to that time, doing many early techniques of imperialism which became normal in later empires. It was, according to many historians, the first real empire in history. It also pioneered many tactics such as arming themselves with iron weapons and employing advanced, effective military tactics.

Neo-Assyrian Empire 𒆳𒀸𒋩𒆠 māt Aššur  (Akkadian)
911 BC–609 BC
Map of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 824 BC (dark green) and in its apex in 671 BC (light green) under King Esarhaddon
Capital	Aššur (911 BC) Kalhu (879 BC) Dur-Sharrukin (706 BC) Nineveh (705 BC) Harran (612 BC)
Common languages	Akkadian (official) Aramaic (official) Sumerian (declining) Hittite Hurrian Phoenician Egyptian
Religion	Polytheism
Government	Monarchy
King
• 911–891 BC	Adad-nirari II (first)
• 612–609 BC	Ashur-uballit II (last)
Historical era	Iron Age
•	911 BC
• Battle of Nineveh	612 BC
•	609 BC
Area
670 BC
Preceded by Succeeded by Middle Assyrian Empire Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) Elam Median Empire Neo-Babylonian Empire Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt
Today part of	Iraq Syria Israel Turkey Egypt Sudan Saudi Arabia Jordan Iran Kuwait Lebanon Cyprus Palestine

After the conquests of Adad-nirari II in the 900s BC, the Neo-Assyrian Empire became the successor to the Old Assyrian Empire (2025-1378 BC) and the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365-934 BC), and dominated the Ancient Near East, the East Mediterranean, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and parts of both the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, conquering and lasting longer than their rivals, such as Babylonia, Elam, Persia, Urartu, Lydia, the Medes, Phrygia, the Cimmerians, Israel, Judah, Phoenicia, the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Canaan, the Kushite Empire, and Ancient Egypt.

The empire began to fall in 631 BC when Ashurbanipal died, and many civil wars, allowing Cyaxares, King of Persia and the Medes, to form an alliance with Nabopolassar, Ruler of Babylonia and the Cimmerians and invade Assyria. Assyria allied itself with Egypt, but they both fell at the Fall of Harran in 609 BC. The second Siege of Harran finally ended Assyria. However, even today there are still Assyrian people living in Iran, Iraq, and elsewhere.

911-859 BC

The campaigns of Adad-nirari II allowed Assyria to become a great power after overthrowing the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt and conquering Elam, Urartu, Media, Persia, Mannea, Gutium, Phoenicia/Canaan, Arabia, Israel, Judah, Philistia, Edom, Moab, Samarra, Cilicia, Cyprus, Chaldea, Nabatea, Commagene, Dilmun, Shutu, and the Neo-Hittites, as well as removing the Nubians, Kushites, and Ethiopians from Egypt and forcing a tribute from Phrygia and others. In addition, he and his successors conquered areas previously only somewhat under Assyrian control, and deporting Arameans and Hurrians. He then twice attacked and defeated Shamash-mudammiq of Babylonia and again to his successor, Nabu-shuma-ukin I.

The next three kings were also equally aggressive. Tukulti-Ninurta II in 891 BC succeeded Adad-nirari II and expanded into Asia Minor and the Zagros Mountains, before being succeeded by Ashurnasirpal II in 883 BC, who recovered much of the territory lost after the fall of the Middle Assyrian Empire in 1100 BC, and ended an uprising caused by the Lullibi and Gutian people. He and his successor and son, Shalmaneser III were known for their ruthlessness and policies of deportation, as well as their love of art. Ashurnasirpal II also moved the capital to Kalhu.

859-783 BC

Annual campaigns under Shalmaneser III allowed both the capital to be turned into an army camp and the occupation of important rivals. Babylon was occupied and Babylonia came under Assyrian rule, however the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BC against Aramean states ended in a stalemate. In 849 BC Carchemesh was occupied and by 842 BC Damascus was forced to pay tribute, as well as Tyre and Sidon, then part of Phoenicia in 841 BC.

A civil war then began in 828 BC as his eldest son Ashur-nadin-aplu and 27 cities rebelled against the governors of Assyria, allowing Babylonia, the Medes, Manneans, Arameans, Neo-Hittites, and Persians to largely recapture their land and Urartu to exert its influence in the region. Second son of Ashurnasirpal Shamshi-Adad V finally ended the Civil War in 824 BC, the same year as his father's death, and spent almost the entire rest of his reign trying to re-conquer lost land before his death in 811 BC, when succeeded by his wife, Queen Sammuramat and then his son Adad-nirari III in 806 BC.

Adad-nirari III was an aggressive Monarch, invading The Levant, subjugating the Arameans, Phoenicians, Philistines, Israelites, Neo-Hittites and Edomites, reinforcing tribute upon Damascus, invading Persia and subjugating the Persians, Medes, and Manneans up to the Caspian Sea, and conquering the Chaldean and Sutu tribes of southern Mesopotamia.

783-745 BC

After the death of Adad-nirari III in 783 BC there was a period of stagnation, when Shalmaneser IV led only minor victories against Urartu during the Battle of Til Barsip, Arameans and Neo-Hittites before his own death in 773 BC. Another set of civil wars beset the reigns of Ashur-dan III, who reigned from 772-754 BC and Ashur-nirari IV from 754-745 BC, with uprisings in Ashur, Arrapkha, and Guzana, the failure to invade Aram-Naharaim or Babylonia, an outbreak in plague, and a solar eclipse, seen as a bad omen. Ashur-nirari IV was deposed by general Pulu, who changed his name upon becoming King to Tiglath-Pileser III in 745 BC, bringing back Assyria.

744-727 BC

As soon as Tiglath-Pileser took the throne in 744, Assyria had both civil war and pestilence threatening it, while a war with Uratru was lost. However, Tiglath Pileser III made enormous changes to the structure of Assyria, improving its security and efficiency. The provinces

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Neo-Assyrian Empire Media

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  Approximate map of the preceding Middle Assyrian Empire at its height in the 13th century BC

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  Assyrian borders and campaigns under Ashur-dan II (r. 934–912 BC), Adad-nirari II (r. 911–891 BC) and Tukulti-Ninurta II (r. 890–884 BC)

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  Annals of Tukulti-Ninurta II (r. 890–884 BC), recounting one of his campaigns

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  Stele of Ashurnasirpal II (r. 883–859 BC)

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  Depiction of Shalmaneser III (right) shaking hands with the Babylonian king Marduk-zakir-shumi I (left)

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  Stele of Shamshi-Adad V (r. 824–811 BC)

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  Stele of Bel-harran-beli-usur, a palace herald, made in the reign of Shalmaneser IV (r. 783–773 BC)

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  Partial relief depicting Tiglath-Pileser III (r. 745–727 BC)

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  20th-century illustration of Tiglath-Pileser III's capture of Damascus

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  The Neo-Assyrian Empire at the start (purple) and end (blue) of Tiglath-Pileser's reign